Daily updates about Syria

5/13/2014

The Hazm Movement, the group that was the first to receive US made TOW missiles, said that it has been promised anti-aircraft missiles in the future but has not received them yet. Whether or not they receive them largely depends on the success of the TOW missiles and if they somehow fall into more extremist groups.

Omran al-Zoubi, the Syrian Information Minister, said that political reform is one of the top policies that Assad wants to enact.

The Human Rights Watch confirmed that chemical attacks were conducted in the following towns based off of interviews and reviewing photography of the scenes:

–1. Kafr Zita: Northwest of Hama city. Attacks on April 11 and 18 killed two people and affected more than 200. 10 kilometers from Khan Sheikhoun. On April 11, rebels were occupying positions 500 meters outside of the town.

–2. Al-Teman’a: North of Hama city. Attacks on April 13 and 18 that killed at least 6 people and affected 150. 7 kilometers from Khan Sheikhoun, the nearest front-line.

–3. Telmans: An attack on April 21 killed 3 people and affected 133. Southeast of Idlib city. 3 kilometers east of the Wadi al-Deif military base, which is government-controlled, and 11 kilometers from al-Hamid. Both sites are front lines in the fighting.

The government mortared the al-Waer section of Homs, despite the peace agreement signed last week.

Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN envoy to Syria, announced his resignation, effective from May 31st.

The Foreign Ministry formally complained to the UN about the rebel water cut-off in Aleppo.

France’s Interior Minister said that they had arrested 6 people suspected of travelling to Syria to wage Jihad who fought for the ISIL. The Foreign Minister separately announced that he regretted that the US had failed to carry out attacks against Assad after the Sarin gas attacks.

The FSA ambushed a relief convoy sent by the ISIL from Tal Abyad to Quz.

The Islamic Front and Jahbat al-Nusra announced that they will be launching an operation to retake desert roads in Homs and Deir Ez Zor.

The ISIL recently created an “electronic battalion” to attack twitter accounts, facebook, ect.